


The Empire

by PontifexxMaximus (WibblyWobbly_TimeyWimey)



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: (yes because this is not an angst fic), AU, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate universe - ancient setting, Clarke Pompeius, Clarke is a noble and hot stranger, Clexa, Commander Lexa, F/F, Lexa is a nobody who becomes a somebody, Multi, WIP, can Lexa really have everything?, clarke will probably be a consul?, f/f - Freeform, patrician Clarke, probably some Ranya too and Linctavia I'm not sure, some angst probably, the roman empire au nobody asked for, this is very much a work in progress i have no concrete idea i just love ancient empires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-07
Updated: 2018-02-07
Packaged: 2019-03-15 05:34:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13606623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WibblyWobbly_TimeyWimey/pseuds/PontifexxMaximus
Summary: It’s the year 13 C.E. The Roman Empire is flourishing as a result of Emperor Augustus’ actions. Having no children of his own, Augustus adopts the legion legate of the imperial army, Lexa, shortly before he dies. Lexa is a homo novus, meaning she does not come from one of the big lineages of the Roman Empire. She was nobody, but she will become Caesar.What she didn’t expect was to fall in love with Clarke Pompeius, of the great Pompey lineage.Can Lexa truly have everything - the Empire and the woman? Can she keep the britle peace Augustus formed? Can she become a great leader? And can she better the conditions for slaves and plebians without the patricians starting an uprise?Follow the story of her reign and see if she can seduce the beautiful patrician with her bad social skills.





	The Empire

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, a Roman Empire AU? This has probably been done before, but either way, I decided writing this was more important than work. Enjoy!
> 
>  
> 
> It is important to note that for story purposes, and because I want none of that bullshit, sexism was never a thing, women have the same standing as men, and homosexuality, bisexuality etc. is as normal as heterosexuality. (There have been some arguments that homosexuality was in fact normal during the Roman empire, but it’s not fact and still, the history is heavily dominated by straightness. But not in this version!).
> 
> List of explanations:  
> C.E. = common era (an alternative to A.D.)  
> Homo novus = not homo lol, though Lexa definitely is. Homo novus is when someone does not come from one of the great lineages of Rome.  
> Caesar = Emperor, basically. A sort of title/name.  
> Pompey = One of the great Roman lineages.  
> Plebians = The lower social class. Not as low as slaves.  
> Patricians = People of the great Roman lineages.  
> Germanians = The people of Germania, a collection of tribes, I believe, who often fought with the Romans.  
> Emperor Augustus = The first real Roman Emperor, as Rome was previously a Republic. Restored peace after many years without it (like, seriously, many). Did lots of other stuff too, but that's all you really need to know for this fic.

It was the 16th day on the battlefield. Lexa was becoming increasingly impatient – she had always seen herself as good at fighting, less good at all the “administrative stuff”.

Well, she was a legion legate, so she couldn’t be _that_ bad at the “administrative stuff”, but she did much prefer fighting. The sword spoke a different language, a language in which Lexa was fluent.

They had been near the Germanic border for 16 days now, sending messengers back and forth, back and forth in a futile attempt at coming to some sort of peace. Even though Lexa liked to fight, she did have to admit that peace was nicest, at least for Rome and its people. If they could fix this dispute in a peaceful way that would satisfy both sides, Rome would not lose a ton of soldiers, resources, and, potentially, land. Though they were much more civilized than the Germanians, so Lexa was sure they would win either way, but it would be preferable not to lose more of her soldiers this time around.

 

Lexa went to stand next to her broad band tribute, Anya, joining her in staring out towards the Germanians. It had been several hours since their messenger rode towards the Germanians with their final offer. Lexa didn’t expect a positive outcome. The Germanians had proven themselves to be completely uncivilized and unorganized. They could surrender, and become legal citizens of Rome, or they could be defeated, their land invaded and their people sold as slaves. These were the terms that the Germanians had been presented with.

 

 

As Anya and Lexa stood, mostly silent, a shape came over the hills, suddenly: their messenger, on his horse. It did not take long for Lexa to see that the Germanians had not responded well. The horse seemed frightened, un-controlled, and the messenger was not riding in the correct position. This became even more apparent as the horse approached and ran in between the Roman ranks, all the way from the front line back to the stables, a place it knew well. Lexa could see, as it rode past her, that the messenger was missing a head. A barbaric, but clear message.

She mounted her horse, riding near the front lines, where she turned around, keeping her horse still.

“For Rome and her people!” she yelled out, a message that they would fight to the last man. She felt her blood becoming electrified, as her soldiers repeated her phrase, all the way down the ranks, and then as one, they charged against the Germanians, who were becoming visible over the hill.

Lexa rode along with the front lines – most people thought she should stay in the back, as befitted her rank, where she would be safe to control the army. She found this ridiculous, but then again, she didn’t come from the same fancy families as the nobility, patricians and politicians. She was used to doing the dirty work, fighting hard for her country, and even though her skill and good luck had made her existence known to Emperor Augustus himself, she was still what she came from. And therefore, she always found herself in the front, fighting side-by-side with her soldiers.

 

The impact with the Germanians was brutal. Though pumped up on the will to fight and the wish to survive, they were greatly inferior. They barely had any horses, and they fought without the precision and organization of the Roman army. They fell quickly, Lexa drawing so much blood that she would have lost count if she’d even counted to begin with. Enemy soldiers filled up the ground underneath them, and if Lexa was not on a horse, she would have a hard time standing on the uneven terrain of bodies.

For a split-second, her eyes met with those of a young Germanian. He could not have been more than 14 years old, the sword big and clumsy in his hand. The connection was lost, as Lexa slashed with her sword, dismembering his head from his body. He would be at peace with the Gods now.

It was a short and dirty fight. One of the quickest Lexa had been a part of. The Germanian tribe, from which these fighters came, could not have had very many people, if this was all the “military” they could amass. Lexa knew that their land had rich earth, optimal for growing wheat and the sorts. There might not have been many people, but their land was valuable. It was going to be a great resource for Rome.

She wiped her brow, as she looked out upon the battlefield, looking for any survivors. Not far from her a woman groaned, albeit softly. She didn’t have much life left. With a quick stab to her heart, Lexa ended her life. She looked up to the skies, sending off a short prayer for Pluto and Mars, asking them to take mercy on these souls, who fought well. As she finished, a messenger rode up next to her. She addressed him with a nod, asking him to speak his message.

“The Emperor has requested your presence”

Lexa let herself take one last look upon the battlefield. There was much cleaning to do. Enemy survivors to kill. Hurt soldiers of their own to retrieve and treat if possible, and if not possible, at least give them a proper death. She morphed her face into that of the legion legate’s, expressionless but powerful, and turned back towards the messenger.

“Thank you,” was her short reply, as she mounted her nearby horse and set course for the camp.

 

Entering the biggest tent, Lexa was once again reminded of how different she was from these people she supposedly shared a standing with. People were standing or sitting around, drinking wine and celebrating another victory for Rome. Meanwhile, her soldiers were still out on the battlefield, doing the hard work. Then again, she should not complain. Her life had improved greatly since the Emperor decided to take her under his wing, and it was impossible to deny that she had benefitted greatly from the new status and attention. She herself was a part of the Roman system and hierarchy, and as such, who was she to judge?

She walked up to the Emperor, in the middle of the room, sitting on a central chair, but conversing with the nearby people. Lexa recognized a council member or two. She knelt in front of Augustus, taking his offered hand and giving it a customary kiss, then letting go and standing once more.

“Emperor. The Gods were with us on the battlefield today,” she offered a small smile, the rare ones that she saved for only those close to her heart. Augustus was the father she had never known, and no matter her thoughts of the system, she loved him dearly.

“ _You_ were with us on the battlefield today. Bellona has once again blessed you,” he offered a smile of his own. Relating Lexa to the Goddess of war was not a new thing. Normally, only emperors would be associated with the Gods, so Lexa took this as a great honor.

“You are too kind, Augustus. Why did you send for me?”

“You should join the festivities,” his look was that of a loving, but reprimanding father, “Leave the clean-up to your soldiers. Socialize.” His pointed look was one Lexa had seen many times before, as they had had this unspoken conversation many times. Socializing was not Lexa’s greatest strength after all, but it did befall her status, and Augustus wanted her to act accordingly. She nodded acceptingly, knowing he was right. If she wanted to keep her status, she had to start working for it. Augustus wasn’t young anymore, and who knew how a new Emperor would take to her? Yes, great social standing would help her a lot.

Augustus motioned for two people to approach, the ones Lexa had recognized as council members. She did know them, upon closer inspection. Bellamy and Tacita.

“I heard you did great work on the battlefield today. This was a very quick win for Rome, the extra land will be good for the people,” Tacita initiated conversation, as Lexa followed them to a nearby table. Honestly, she was tired and hungry. If she was not out on the battlefield, she would much rather be eating and then sleeping. Instead, she limited herself to some of the bread and dried meats from the table, accepting a goblet of wine from a server. As they began filling Tacita and Bellamy’s goblets, Lexa engaged in polite conversation. Bellamy poked fun at Lexa’s rumor as someone who wanted the old republic ways back (would that really be such a bad thing?), as he always did, and Lexa replied with the same polite humor as always. It was tedious. Repetitive. Necessary.

 

 

“I would like to address you all, dear friends.” The room fell immediately quiet at the Emperor’s words. An Emperor had a natural aura of authority, and the people in their presence were always attentive of them. The Emperor addressing people like this was not uncommon, but it wasn’t common either. Often most, others would speak his words for him, when presented with a small gathering like this, as it was a bit below the Emperor himself. Augustus was an uncommon Emperor, but he usually followed the unwritten rules, so Lexa was uneasy of this deviation from the normal.

“As you all know, I am not young anymore. I have served Rome well, and she has served me well. I am thankful for my time as Emperor of this great empire.” Lexa’s worry grew. Sure, Augustus wasn’t exactly young, as she had thought to herself earlier, but was he old? Her denial could no longer stand. Augustus wasn’t ill, but he wasn’t great either. He truly was in the last stage of his reign, but she hadn’t expected him to address it so publicly. Around her, people were beginning to mumble, just enough for the clear confusion to spread throughout the tent.

“Silence, please,” everyone immediately stopped talking, by Augustus’ words. “Rome has been my wife, but in my loyalty, I have failed to produce an heir,” Lexa started to feel nauseous. This was more than she’d expected right out of battle. This was big. Important. And Lexa was fighting to keep a yawn in. She was unprepared. Unprepared for this speech, and unprepared for the end of Augustus’ reign, which seemed like it would come sooner rather than later.

“I have however met many people loyal to Rome, people who hold her just as dear as I do. One in particular, has truly shown her dedication to and love for Rome. She has shown her worth on our battlefields, and likewise shown her grace and skill with the political arts,” Augustus was looking directly at Lexa now, a humorous twinkle in his eyes at his last sentence. Lexa did not feel humorous.

“This is why I would like to formally adopt her, if she agrees, as I have always felt that she was my own. As my daughter, I will teach her everything I know, so when the day comes, Rome will have a competent, brave and loving Empress. Her life has been in servitude of Rome, and I ask of her to continue so” The room was stunned to silence. It felt like the step above silence. An absolute absence of sound.

“Legion legate Lexa, will you accept my humble proposal?”

A feeling of vertigo encompassed Lexa. Was she standing, or was she swaying? Was she dreaming? Was this a nightmare?

Every face was turned towards her, even the servants had stopped in their tracks, and Lexa did what she had always done: her duty. She allowed herself one second of fear, then put on a brave face and walked to Augustus, with every eye in the room on her. She knelt in front of the Emperor, lower than she’d ever knelt before, taking his hand and resting her forehead against it. A few second passed, and she lifted her head, hoping and wishing that her voice would not fail her, as she spoke the words that would cement the rest of her fate.

“I am honored by your proposal, father. I hope I can be a worthy leader of Rome, and that I may lead her with the same competence, fairness and grace as you.”

And thus Lexa ceased to be legion legate Lexa, and began her life as Lexa, future Emperor of the Roman Empire.

**Author's Note:**

> Please bear in mind that my knowledge of the Roman Empire is very limited. I just think it's really cool, but I am in no way a historian. In addition to that, English is also not my first language, and I feel very rusty! My military terms may very well be wrong. I tried to research a lot what Lexa's title might be, as she is the leader of the military but also fights in it, so she's not like, commander, which would be a position for the Emperor, I believe, who doesn't actually fight in the military. We need to go down a few ranks to find someone who actually fights, so I settled on officer and hope that is right. Any and all tips and corrections are welcome.  
> EDIT: I changed officer to legion legate, and Anya's rank to legionaries, thanks to the help of Holten18, thank you so much  
> I also translated most historical terms from Danish, so some of them might be wrong.
> 
> Also, lmao yes, I was inspired by both history and the 2000 Ridley Scott movie, Gladiator, so many of you will recognize this first chapter. Following chapters will be way less Gladiator inspired, and more my own work.
> 
> I am very open to any comments, ideas for the story, concrit and so on. This is just a spur-of-the-moment fic - I got the idea and wrote the first chapter right away, so truthfully, I have very little planned, but I feel like this could be a cool story.  
> I also, as always, do not have a beta, and I did try to beta myself, but it's hard to beta your own work. So if someone is sufficiently invested in the story, speak up?
> 
>  
> 
> You can reach me here, on [Instagram](http://www.instagram.com/myosotis_arvencis), or on [Tumblr](http://www.adamntorres.tumblr.com), though I don't use tumblr that much.


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